By Heart
by Arella1
Summary: Tifa's in a bad way. Zack tries to help-sorta. He always was too impulsive for his own good.


**AN: **This is a weird idea that wouldn't leave me alone. Fellow Zack/Tifa shippers unite! (He's just so darn cute!) Also, I shamelessly stole a line from Howl's Moving Castle. Props if you spot it.

Obviously, I'm making no money off of this.

* * *

**Heart**: n. **1** a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.—the region of the chest above the heart—the heart regarded as the center of a person's thoughts and emotions, especially love or compassion—one's mood or feeling—courage or enthusiasm **2** the central or innermost part of something—the vital part or essence—the close compact head of a cabbage or lettuce **3** a conventional representation of a heart with two equal curves meeting at a point at the bottom and a cusp at the top—one of the four suits in a conventional pack of playing cards, denoted by a red figure of such a shape—a card of this suit.

* * *

Tifa staggered to one of the bar tables and gasped for air, clutching her heart.

"_I do feel lighter," Cloud said a few weeks after the Remnant situation. "I feel like I'm ready to move on."_

_Tifa beamed and put away the dishes she'd dried. "I'm glad, Cloud." _

_Turning to face him, however, she found him standing beside the door with a duffle bag at his feet. Her eyes flew to him in question as she rounded the bar._

"_I'm ready to let go of the past. I know I haven't been the greatest friend, Tifa, but I appreciate everything you do for me. That's why I'm going to get an apartment. With Barret more stable now in his job, he'll be taking the kids more. If I'm not hovering, you can finally do things for yourself, instead of worrying about all of us."_

_He shrugged and smiled. "Maybe someone will finally get up the nerve to ask that pretty bartender out."_

"_Cloud," she protested around a thick tongue, "this is your home."_

_His face was peaceful as he nodded. "I know. I have a family and I'm not alone. It's time for me to grow up, Tif." He picked up his bag. "I'll call you when I find a place," he threw over his shoulder. "Maybe you can help me decorate it?"_

_Tifa watched as he got on Fenrir and waved jauntily before speeding away. He was gone and two weeks later, the children were, too. _

Absolute despair washed over her as the last sounds of Barret's truck faded. Fighting for air, she tried to pull herself together. She was so tired, though and hadn't anything left. The children were gone, Cloud had left, the world was safe, and she was left trying to find a place for herself. In the end, everyone left her. She was obsolete.

With a sob, she lost her grip on the table. Her legs buckled and as she fell, she knocked over the table and the chairs stacked on it.

It was a great commotion fitting for the moment Tifa Lockhart's heart shattered.

* * *

Aerith hummed happily to herself as she tended the flowers that grew in her section of the Lifestream. A black flickering in the corner of her eye drew her attention. Glancing over, she was shocked to see a transparent Tifa.

Gasping her name, she stood and hurried over to the image of her friend.

The other woman's face was tear streaked and her hands were pressed against the area where her heart would be. Aerith's arm passed right through her. Something was terribly wrong.

"Tifa, what happened?"

The brunette shook her head wildly and said something. Her lips moved, at least, but no sound reached Aerith's ears. She watched her friend mouth the phrase over and over until the image faded away.

'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Panicked, Aerith spun and ran to find Zack. When she did, his face was ashen and he was staring seemingly into space.

"Zack! You'll never believe what just happened!"

He raised his eyes to hers, shock apparent in the depths. "Tifa was here," he whispered.

The Cetra blinked. "Um, yeah, she just appeared, but she was immaterial."

"And crying," he finished with worry settling on his features. "She kept saying she was sorry."

"I haven't looked in on Cloud the last week or so. Have you?"

"No. Something must have happened."

Agreeing, Aerith waved her hand and they were on Gaia in a hospital waiting room. Cloud was sitting, running a hand through his hair and bouncing his leg nervously. Marlene and Denzel were squeezed into one chair beside Barret. The large man was speaking reassuringly to them despite the fear in his own eyes.

Yuffie came bustling in noisily, dragging Vincent as she went. "I found tall, dark, and creepy lurking in the hall," she declared. "What have they found out?"

Cloud dragged his hand down his face and shook his head. "Nothing, yet. They're still back there. Did you get a hold of Cid and the others?"

The girl nodded. "None of them can get here until the day after tomorrow, at the earliest. Reeve may take longer. He's at Icicle Inn."

Someone cleared a throat, drawing the room's attention. A doctor stood at the door in scrubs and eyeing the room hesitantly.

"Miss Lockhart's next of kin?" she asked.

Barret stood. "Closest thing to it," he answered.

Deciding not to question it, the doctor nodded. "Miss Lockhart is in ICU at the moment." She hesitated as her eyes fell on the children.

Vincent took the cue. "Marlene, Denzel, come with me. We will procure food."

Grumbling, but too worried to put up much fight, they complied. Barret gave the gunslinger a grateful look as the three left.

Once they were out of earshot, the doctor resumed. "Miss Lockhart was unconscious for quite a while before someone found her. She's lucky they did. Her heart is giving out. Judging by its condition, she's been under constant strain for a very long time. There's really not much else we can do for her."

Yuffie covered her mouth and turned away as she tried to choke back her sobs. Barret clenched his fist.

"What are you saying? How long does she have?"

The doctor shifted uncomfortably. "I can't say for sure about something like that. It's really up to her at this point. If she wakes from the coma, she probably doesn't have more than a year, _maybe_ two." The woman dropped her hand with the chart in it to her side. "That's a big 'if', however. Would you like to see her? Coma patients can hear you. It might be some comfort to her."

Barret nodded. "Yeah, just give us a minute. We need to," he sucked in a sharp breath, "tell the kids. And Tifa can't see us all torn up like this."

"Of course. Take your time. The nurse will escort you back, but please no more than two people at a time."

When she'd left, Barret turned to Cloud. "What the Hell happened?"

The blonde yanked his arm out of the larger man's grasp and stormed out of the room. The hospital doors slammed shut behind him.

Aerith's eyes were filled with tears as she turned to the SOLDIER beside her. "We need to see her."

Agreeing, he led the way down the hall and through the door marked 'Lockhart, T.'. Their friend was lying on the bed, as white as the sheet covering her. Dark smudges were under her eyes and her hair hung limply around her face. She looked dead already.

Zack clenched his fists at the sight. He'd seen her like that once before, in another life. It was a sick reminder of one of his greatest failures. Aerith, however, gasped and hurried to the woman's side. Her hands hovered uncertainly over Tifa's arm. Zack stood a moment by the bed before shrugging to himself. Reaching out, he tried to take her hand.

What happened next would have scared them to death had they not already been in that state. Tifa's eyes shot open as she gasped for air and the machines connected to her went wild. Freaking out, Zack would have dropped her hand had she not grabbed onto his.

"Zack," she wheezed, eyes clashing into his.

Shocked, he managed a small smile. "Hey there, cutie."

Her face crumpled. "I don't hate you." Then, her eyes rolled back into her head and she began convulsing.

Aerith pulled him aside as the medical team rushed into the room and set about trying to revive her.

"Cloud's at the church," she whispered. "What did she mean, Zack?"

The SOLDIER's face contorted in anguish. "Back in Nibelheim, before I could get to Sephiroth, Tifa confronted him. I don't know the specifics of the fight, but I found her in a pool of her own blood. I didn't think she'd survive a wound like that." He closed his eyes. The scenes were too similar. "She asked me if we'd just come for an investigation. I told her that we had and that I'd stop Sephiroth. When I was running after him, she said she hated ShinRa, SOLDIER, and me."

The Cetra put her hand on his arm. "She didn't mean it."

"Don't you think I knew that?" he hissed. "But she was _fifteen_, Aerith. _Fifteen._ And I helped destroy everything she held dear. I couldn't do anything for her."

"You didn't destroy Nibelheim or kill her father," she protested. "But we can't do anything right now, either. Cloud's praying. We can at least comfort him."

Zack's face hardened. "You go. If she's dying, I'm not leaving her to do it alone. Not again."

Compassion filled her eyes as she nodded and faded away.

Watching the medical personnel rush around, trying to save Tifa, he muttered, "Come on, Tif. You're stronger than this."

Another transparent figure of the brunette flickered into existence in the corner of the room.

"She's stable," someone called. "Someone inform the family."

They shuffled out, but Zack's attention was on the figure in the corner. It was Tifa, but a very young Tifa. She couldn't have been older than eight or nine and her appearance was vastly disturbing. Her face was mottled with bruises, her lip was split, cuts and scrapes decorated her skin and there was a gaping hole where her heart should have been. Red eyes were wide and pain filled as she stared at her body lying on the hospital bed.

Cautiously, Zack shifted and called to her. "Tifa?"

The little girl's eyes snapped to him as she flinched and hunkered down onto the floor. "Tifa's not here," she said, voice shaking.

Trying to appear as nonthreatening as possible, he crouched beside her and gave her a warm smile. "Well, if you see her, will you tell her that her friend Zack misses her?"

Hesitantly, she studied him. "Why do you miss _her_? She's _boring_."

"What? No she's not." Sitting on the floor, he stretched out his legs. "She's spunky and takes care of everyone. Why wouldn't I miss her if she's gone?"

The girl pulled her knees closer to her chest and picked at a scab on her knee. "She's sad now _all_ the _time_ and everybody leaves _her_." Red eyes met his blue. "You left, too. I remember. You came after the bad man hurt her."

Guilt forced his eyes away. "I tried to stop the bad man when I left, though."

Self-consciously, she licked her cracked lips and glanced to him before looking down at her knees. "I know. But why didn't you come when he hurt her the last time?"

Zack's brows drew together in confusion. The last time Sephiroth hurt Tifa… "In the church?"

"Yeah. She fought and she fought, but he still _hurt_ her. It's _never_ good enough. Why didn't you help her?"

"There are rules about when I can visit and help people. I couldn't come then. Afterwards, though, Aerith helped her and Cloud."

Her eyes were angry and hurt as she touched the hole in her chest. "Well, I don't _care_ anymore and she shouldn't either! Tifa may not hate you, but _I_ do! I hate _everybody_! Everyone lies and then leaves her. She's so _stupid_!"

Jerking her head away, she hugged her legs and looked at the opposite wall while she rocked herself.

Swallowing the bile in his throat, Zack focused on the woman lying in the bed. He wondered how she'd been so cheerful when she had this much hurt and bitterness inside. He wondered how no one had noticed it.

"What happened to you?" he whispered.

Yuffie and Vincent entered the room in a whirl of chatter courtesy of the worried ninja. When her eyes fell on the hospital bed and its occupant, she choked a sob and rushed to her friend.

"Oh, Tifa," she said, hands fluttering around the blanket and tucking it around Tifa's body. "Vincent, she looks awful!"

The man frowned and stood where he could see the prone form. "She can hear you, Kisaragi."

"Good," the short girl sniffed. "Tifa, you need to wake up, girl. You are in serious need of a girl's day out. Cloud's being an emo chocobo and the kids are super worried." Wiping away a few tears, she continued, "They even said my Materia wouldn't help, you know. I offered!"

Pulling herself together, she touched Tifa's hand and then rushed from the room. Vincent glanced from the door to Tifa. His eyes flicked briefly to the corner Zack and the apparition were in before he pressed Tifa's arm gently.

"You must rest, Tifa. I will take care of your family."

He was surprised when her hand flexed slightly. Hesitantly, he slid his hand into hers and saw her fingers twitch as if to hold his.

"Yes," he agreed as if she had spoken, "I suppose they are mine, too, now." He canted his head toward the corner again. "Rest. You don't have to fight anymore."

Zack frowned as the enigmatic former Turk left. That had been weird.

"Humph. Looks like _someone_ gets it."

When he turned his attention to his right, he saw that the younger girl now looked to be a teenager. She was in the same sorry state the eight year old had been. She, however, was sprawled uncaringly, chewing gum and blowing bubbles. A chill slithered down his spine when he saw her eyes. Dark, shadowed voids appeared in place of her eyes. There was still a gaping hole in her chest, only now there was a long, festering wound that ran from her left shoulder to her right hip.

Not just a teenager; a fifteen year old Tifa. The cowgirl outfit really should have tipped him off.

"Tifa?" he asked raggedly.

Her bubble popped and she grinned maliciously as she turned to him. "Tifa's not here," she sing-songed. "She's gone away and cannot play. There's only me, as you see, and aren't I a _lovely_ thing to be?"

Skin crawling, Zack swallowed. Whatever part of Tifa that girl was, she scared the shit out of him.

"Well, who are you?" he managed.

Seemingly bored, the girl leaned back on her hands and shrugged. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know? You're so smart, Zack Fair, SOLDIER 1st Class, _you_ figure it out."

Aerith reappeared in the room and took a step back when she saw the teenager. "Tifa?"

"Tifa's _gone_," the girl growled in a deep, inhuman voice that had even Zack inching away from her. "Why can't you morons understand that?"

Shocked and fearful, the Cetra glanced at Zack.

"Don't look at me. First, she was a scared, angry little girl. Now, she's a demonic teenager."

"Idiots," the teen snorted, returning to her gum chewing.

The door opened and admitted Barret and Marlene. The little girl was crying and hanging onto her father. When she saw Tifa, she burrowed further into him. Barret held her close and stood over Tifa with his eyes wet.

"She's gonna be all right, isn't she, Papa?"

The big man tightened his grip on her for a moment. "I hope so, baby."

Marlene wiggled down and grasped Tifa's hand. "Please wake up, Tifa. I miss you."

Zack glanced to his right and saw that the teenager had become an age-accurate reflection of the real Tifa. There was still a hole in her chest, however.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to Marlene as the girl and her father left. Her teary eyes flicked to Aerith and Zack as she apologized again while pressing her hands to her chest.

"Hey, Tifa," Zack started to protest, but paused when she shook her head.

"I'm not Tifa, either. Tifa's dead, I think. I think we killed her."

Aerith was scared, but determined. "Who are you?"

She winced and pressed her hands harder against the hole. "I'm Guilt and what's left of her dreams." Tears slid down her face. "More Guilt, though. Tifa got too used to disappointment; she stopped dreaming."

Zack shifted uncomfortably. "The kid?"

"Pain and Anger. The Teenager was Apathy. She's just been waiting for the last of Tifa's Hope to die."

Aerith knelt in front of her. "Where is your heart?"

The woman smiled sadly and looked away. "No one wanted it. So, Tifa hid it away. She buried it so far down that there's probably nothing left of it now, anyways. I'm sorry I can't help anymore. I'm not good for much. I'm _always_ _useless_!"

With a snap, she disappeared and the two heard a sharp inhale from the hospital bed. Hesitantly, they stood and moved to her side. Her eyes were open partly as she tracked them the few steps to her bed.

"Get out of here," she said, obviously struggling to form the words. "Leave me alone."

"Tifa," Aerith protested, reaching out to touch her.

The martial artist's muscles twitched as if she wanted to pull away, but didn't have the strength.

"Thank you, Aerith, for healing Cloud and Denzel and curing Geostigma," she switched gears, sounding earnest and incredibly grateful. "And, I know you've helped him, Zack. I'm so glad and I appreciate everything, but I'm not Cloud." Her eyes slid closed as she caught her breath. "So please, please just go. I'm tired and I deserve to have a dignified death. Stop pulling at my emotions. Give me this."

Zack's jaw clenched. "Your guilt said you were already dead."

A sad, wistful smile skated across her face. "Maybe I am. I can see you two, after all. Now, you've fulfilled whatever obligation you think you have to me. I'm begging you: leave."

Heart breaking, Aerith grabbed a hold of Zack and yanked him back to the Lifestream. He ripped his arm from her grasp and stormed over to a tree. In a second, he had it and the surrounding area decimated.

Aerith waited until he'd vented his rage and then sat beside him where he'd collapsed.

"I failed a lot of people, Aerith," he muttered, leaning his forehead on the flat of his sword, "but I think I failed her the most."

"You're not to blame for her life, Zack. You barely even knew her."

He scowled. "Well, I sure as Hell didn't make her life _better_." His laugh was bitter. "I can't even keep her company while she dies without making things worse."

A rustling of grass heralded another arrival. Aerith was shocked when she realized it was her mother approaching them.

"Mother?"

The older Cetra smiled. "Daughter. Your friend is in a very bad way."

Zack stood with his former girlfriend. "She's dying."

Ifalna nodded. "Yes, but it is more than that, isn't it? Her heart is gone. As long as that's the case, she'll hang in suspension between life and death. Fate is cruel sometimes to those who deserve it least."

"What can we do?"

Her face was serene as she spread her hands. "Find her heart, of course."

Aerith blinked and then frowned. "Literally?"

Her mother chuckled. "It will be somewhere she felt happy; perhaps even with someone. It's up to you."

Zack nodded sharply. "We'll do it. How do we know where she felt happy, though?"

The woman touched their hands, causing the appendages to glow for a moment. "There. You should be able to sort through her memories with that. The Viewing Poll is open to you for this task. Good luck."

"Thank you, Mother," Aerith called out as she walked away.

Her former boyfriend tilted his head in question. "Viewing Pool?"

"Yes. Follow me. We can go through a person's entire life with it. We'll see their memories, but also _feel_ with them. If we don't find Tifa's heart with that, then we won't find it at all."

He did as he was told, following her to a large, ornate mirror. Carefully, Aerith touched the glass causing ripples to flow across the surface. Hesitantly, Zack did the same.

"Tifa Lockhart," Aerith stated.

Immediately, they were pulled into Tifa's life. Memory after memory played of her more than twenty years. They lived through everything with her. When they finally came to her collapse, they both shook with the force of her agony. Zack jerked his hand away and fell onto his bottom as Aerith disengaged much more gracefully.

"That was…enlightening," Aerith ventured. "Seeing everything from someone else's point of view is unnerving." Her eyes slid to her hands. "She has me on a pedestal that's unrealistic."

Snorting, Zack stood. "Not in her mind. You're kind of the embodiment of everything she wishes she could be. From someone like Tifa, I think that's just about the highest praise you could get."

The flower girl bit her lip, but nodded. "Her happiest memories were of Nibelheim before she turned eight. Her heart must be there, then."

"Yeah. Let's go."

Agreeing, she followed him to Tifa's childhood village. "Where would it be?"

Zack pointed. "Up the mountain, with her mother."

Stunned realization hit her as Zack yanked them to the old cemetery. When they found Mrs. Lockhart's grave, they also found a surprise. On top of the tombstone, an older version of Tifa was perched. Her eyes were bright, her countenance glowing, and her chest was whole. She grinned when they approached.

"I'm not Tifa, either, you know."

"We gathered that," Zack replied dryly. "Who are you?"

She swung her legs freely. "I'm her Hope, of course." She leaned forward and said in a stage whisper, "I'm not really dead. I'm just…put away."

Aerith motioned to her chest where her heart was glowing. "You have Tifa's heart."

"Who else would have it? No one besides me wanted it, really. A heart is a heavy burden; especially one as large as Tifa's."

"But she needs it," Aerith stated resolutely. "She's wasting away in a half life."

Hope Tifa waved her off. "She'll die _with_ it, foolish girl. She can't protect it and neither can anyone else. It's already so battered even I am having a hard time keeping it alive."

"You're wrong," Zack disagreed. "A lot of people love Tifa. Any one of them would protect her heart or lend her the strength she needs to do it herself."

For the first time, she frowned. "I am Hope, but I am also Resignation, Mr. Fair. I think Tifa's state right now might disprove your statement rather soundly."

Frustrated and furious, Zack shot his hand out lightning fast and ripped the glowing orb from her chest. The woman jerked as gasped as her hands flew to the hole now in her breast. Zack pulled back and cradled the warm, beating orb carefully. It pulsed like fire and then curled around his fingers.

"You stole her heart!" The woman shrieked. "You can't _do_ that!"

Zack covered it protectively with his other hand. "Watch me."

Shaking her head furiously, she fell off the grave marker and waved her arms. "No! No, you don't understand, you stupid boy!"

"Enlighten us, then," Aerith gritted out.

The woman sagged with a defeated sigh. "You can't take her heart, Mr. Fair. You're _dead._"

He stared at her a moment before he realized what she meant. When he did, a dark blush stained his cheeks. Aerith coughed, trying to cover her laugh.

The woman-now pale and greying-scowled. "It is no laughing matter. You've stolen her heart and have nothing to give her in return."

"I'm going to give it _back_," Zack sputtered. "I took it _for_ her."

She gave a sad smile. "It doesn't work like that, Mr. Fair. Look."

Glancing down, Aerith and Zack saw that the hart was sinking into Zack's. He'd unconsciously been cradling it against his chest.

"Gah!" he exclaimed, pulling it out and away. A small pang of acute loss hit him.

"Your fingerprints are all over it," she further pointed out. "If you return it now, you'll still have irreversibly changed it."

Aerith wrung her hands. "We should talk to Mother."

"Yeah," Zack quickly agreed.

The woman slowly slid to the base of the marker. "I think I'm more Hope than Resignation now," she muttered. "Yes. I hope." With a smile, she disappeared.

Taking Zack's shoulder, Aerith pulled them to the Lifestream. Ifalna was waiting for them, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Oh, Zack, you always were too impulsive for your own good."

He glared. "What do I do?"

She shrugged. "You have two options. You can give Tifa back her heart and let her live out her life yearning for something she can never have."

Well. That was a crappy option, in his opinion. "Or?"

Ifalna waved her hand over the flickering heart, healing it. Zack's eyes widened when the orb grew and seemed to fill his being with serenity.

"Or," she chuckled, "you can keep her heart and give her another."

Blue eyes were confused as they met hers. "My heart is the only other one I have. I'm dead, in case you didn't notice," he said flatly.

With a smirk and a roll of her eyes, she replied, "Her body is alive and so is her heart. You can't keep a living heart in the Lifestream."

"Oh."

Aerith covered her mouth and giggled now that she knew the crisis wasn't as dire as she'd feared. "What are you going to do?" One glance, though, and she knew. "I'll miss you here. Keep them safe."

He grinned. "I'll see you around."

Then he was gone.

* * *

He reappeared in Tifa's hospital room just the clock struck four. Her breathing was shallow, but her eyes cracked open to greet him. A faint smile sashayed across her lips.

"I'm not surprised. You never knew when to give up."

His eyes were bright as he peered down at her. "I brought you a gift this time."

Cupping the flickering orb, he brought it to his chest and let it dissolve into him. Another orb danced out; this one more orange than red and flickering wildly. Before Tifa's astonished eyes, he pressed it to her and watched as it sunk into her body. Gasping, she grabbed his hands as color seemed to revitalize her skin.

"What did you do?" she exclaimed breathlessly.

His smirk was saucy as her monitors started beeping loudly. "I figured since I stole your heart, it was only right I give you mine."

Tifa's mouth worked soundlessly for a moment before she finally sputtered, "But, you're dead!"

A nurse burst in and rushed to check the machines. She did a double take at the readings and then glanced at Zack.

His eyes laughed as he answered Tifa. "Are you sure?"

"Are you the next of kin?"

"Boyfriend," he replied with a wink.

Tifa gurgled and choked, gaping at him. The nurse smiled at the answer and adjusted Tifa's IV.

"It looks like your stats are better, dear. Your family's been worried about you." She grinned jauntily. "I suppose you just needed the right incentive to wake up."

"It's not like that!" Tifa stuttered.

The nurse arched a brow. "Honey, if my boyfriend had _those_ looks, you can better believe it'd be like _that_." She patted her hand. "I'll get the doctor to take a look at you. Welcome back."

Sweeping out of the room, the nurse left the room with silence. When Tifa forced herself to meet Zack's eyes, she found the SOLDIER studying her from six inches away.

"Gah! What is wrong with you?" Her face went slack with surprise as she finally processed what had just happened. "She could see you. You're alive?"

He grinned. "Yep. Now, I've wanted to do this since I saw the cowgirl outfit."

Her confusion was swallowed as he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her softly. Undeterred at her lack of response, he brushed her hair away from her face and kissed the tip of her nose before pulling away.

"Zack?" a voice exclaimed loudly.

Eyes jerking to the door, he saw a stunned Cloud Strife standing there.

"Hey, buddy. Miss me?"

The blonde looked from Zack to Tifa and then took several strides over to the bed. "Tifa! You're awake," he said, relieved and unable to process two huge things at one time.

She gave a strained smile. "Yeah. Sorry to worry you guys."

He frowned and took her hand. "You shouldn't feel guilty. You couldn't help it and we're a family, right?"

Looking down, she nodded slowly. Zack poked her shoulder.

"Hey, I busted my butt for you. Don't go wearing out _my_ heart."

Her red eyes were amused as they met his. "I thought it was my heart now?"

A corner of his mouth quirked up. "If you want it. Ifalna healed yours. Mine. Whatever."

Tifa's face softened. "I think… I think I'd like that."

Cloud rubbed the back of his head. "Um, what am I missing? Zack, are you actually _alive_?"

His friend flashed him a cocky smirk. "Surprise."

The doctor interrupted when she rushed in. "Miss Lockhart, I'm so relieved to see you awake. That's very promising, but we need to do a few tests. Gentlemen, if you would wait in here or with the rest of your family?"

The nodded and Zack squeezed Tifa's knee before stepping back. The doctor moved a few things and then let the tech wheel Tifa, bed and all, out. Cloud crossed his arms and eyed his friend.

"So, what happened?"

Zack's grin stretched as he shrugged. "It's a long, weird story."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "It always is, with us."

* * *

The doctor wanted to keep Tifa for more tests and observations. Apparently, someone's heart miraculously healing itself was cause for some attention. Tifa put her foot down, however, and was released the next week.

The fallout of Zack's return was-as he put it-delightfully explosive. The less said about _that_, the better.

At the party celebrating Tifa's recovery and Zack's return, Yuffie pulled her aside.

"Girl, death was good for that man. If he'd take his eyes off of you for a minute, I'd totally be all over him." She considered. "That, and he hadn't met me when I was like, nine, and seemed to think I stayed that age."

Flushing, Tifa extracted her arm. "It's not like that," she protested.

The ninja arched a brow skeptically. Why did that phrase always illicit that response?

"It's not?" She turned deliberately to look at the man perched on a barstool, laughing at something Barret was saying.

Zack's eyes flicked to the girls for a moment. They drifted over Tifa suggestively before he grinned sexily and winked. Tipping his drink to them in silent salute, he turned back to Barret.

Yuffie snorted. "Yeah, Tifa, I completely see what you mean." With a sigh, the girl shifted gears. "Look, Tif, you know I love you-we all do-but I know that you deserve the kind of happiness we can't give you. There's a kind of loneliness that friends and collected family can't always help. Zack came back from the _dead_ for you, girl. If that doesn't tell you he's a keeper, nothing will."

Eyes wet, Tifa looked at her hands. "I'm kind of scared, Yuf." It was hard-so very hard-to admit that. She laughed mockingly. "After all my talk to Cloud about taking chances and moving on, I hesitate when it comes to myself."

Yuffie smiled kindly. "You've been hurt a lot. But this _isn't_ taking a chance. You _know_ you'll be good together. Let yourself have this." She scowled. "Because you'd better _never_ scare _me_ like that again!"

Chuckling, Tifa hugged the shorter girl tightly. "Thanks, Yuffie."

"Sure thing. Now, watch as I steal Vinnie's Ifrit. I've been _dying_ to get it this whole time." And she was off, skipping over to the quiet man and immediately setting off Cid, who was at the same table.

Later, when everyone was sleeping and the place had been cleaned, Tifa sat beside Zack on the roof. The stars were out brilliantly, but the moon was nowhere in sight.

"Why were you so determined to save me?" She asked after a while.

His eyes turned deep with contemplation before he gave a half shrug. "I've always tried to save you, haven't I? I just haven't been very successful, until now."

She bit her lip. "You feel guilty about Nibelheim."

"That's part of it, sure. But, Tifa, you're special by yourself. I recognized it even when I was dating Aerith and you were only fifteen. You _shine_. You burn so hard and bright that people can't help but be drawn to you."

"My light had gone out," she admitted. "I just wanted to let go. It's hard being the one who holds onto everyone."

Zack wrapped an arm around her. "Hey, I'll guard your light from now on and I'll hold onto _you._" He winced. "Just don't ever make me deal with your Apathy again. She seriously scared the Hell out of me."

A weak, choked laugh was her response as she finally allowed herself to relax against him. "She's no match for your determination, anyways."

Humming in agreement, he kissed her temple. "So, know anywhere I can rent a room, barkeep?"

She smiled. "I might. You'll have to work off your rent, though."

"I'm a hard worker," he retorted, "good for all manner of jobs."

"I think the owner of said room can be persuaded."

And he proceeded to do just that.

* * *

In the yard, Cloud leaned against the fence as Aerith sat on it and dangled her legs. Both of them were watching the couple on the roof.

"This is weird," Cloud muttered.

Aerith giggled. "Tell me about it. But, they'll be good together. They just fit."

He eyed her speculatively. "This sort of thing happen often?"

"No, but Zack's always made his own rules, hasn't he?" She sighed happily and hopped down to walk beside him. "Come on, chocobo head. I'm not a voyeur."

"Yes, you are," he argued.

She grinned. "Only when it comes to you."

They heard a delighted laugh and looked up to see Zack carry Tifa inside dramatically. Cloud smiled. He hadn't heard his childhood friend laugh like that in a long time. Knowing she'd be okay from now on, he caught up with Aerith.

"_You're_ still dead," he noted.

Dainty nose wrinkling with mischief, she threw a glance over her shoulder at him. "For now."

"What's that supposed to mean? Aerith? _Aerith!_ Hey! What does that _mean_?"

A giggle was caught on the breeze and carried away.

The End (Of This Story)


End file.
